The Sun. — London, England, 1809-01-20 00:00:00

v i . .... t ~,, .. , •s t JI, ....!, "ir - e -, , N • •,,, ' : i.k al ll'e-, 1 t..,......* N y: . ,,,,,, '''., i ik - ' ,• -; - T 4 fr , rt i .1... 1.. Ti; A 4 . '' • . -v. ...... 4,:v4 • • - .t...." : ', ; , f • 1. , •., 11... • •e s / • ,'`.. . . 1 1:; I r . Ari . (.•':- S F jl 'a ~ , ~ f '~J . ' \Ny Y^.y 1? 1°J41.L,1• l D 4 7 0 JANUARY 20, 1 SO;} NumbEit b 103.) $ ~ tsEOlta IMPERIAL PA.RUAMENT. HORSE OF pz.tdis, THURSDAY, JAN. 19. This. dey Parilainem asseroWed porsnaht to ills Majesty's Proehibiai . ion for tha t purpose: : s. About three &elm*, the Lords Commissioners having taken their beats,. sent-,a Message to the Hopse tit Cuunnons, his',Majesty!s Most Gracious Speech. The'SPEA,KER Qccordingly attended; when the Lott ry CHANCE t:LOtt react the Speech as follows " M`t LORDS AND GENTLEMIN, " We bait . it in command fromhis Majestyto state to you, that his Majesty h called you together in perfect confidence that you are prepared cordially to support his Majesty in the prosecution ea War, which there is no hope of terminating saf ely and honourably, except through vigorous and per severing exertion. - - " We are,to acquaint you, that his Majesty has direEtedito be laid before yOtr, Copies of the Proliosals for opening a Ne gocktion, *Men w sputernitsed t o, his jtolajesty riallsl "u 4 and' of the corresponticae which theteupon took withthe C oVertateats of Russia an* of I' ratice - ; to. getilef With the bagAratjali issued by n. Majesty 's • co n t. nuoe4 On the termination of that Correspondence. lils Majesty is persuaded that you will participate 311 the feeliogS Which were eApre,,,gt by ha Alajetty, when it was iptltantesl l lutl his Majesty should. coast:m.4o coinnience the liggociation by aliaudetimg the Cathie et Spain, which htr had e 0 recently sole nuily espoused. • "Wu are commanded to iniurin you, that his Majesty con. alto toreceive from the Spanish ciovernment the strongest 1 4 44 ilititeeS Of thtir determined persevereme. in the cause of 141 c legitithate Monarehy, and of the rational ; tote pcttdence atist to assure yuti, Mat so long as the people o f 4pain shall remain true to themselves, his Majesty will con. tissue to them WS must strenuous SSaiStatiCe and support. iiis Majesty flits teriewea to the Spadislt Nation, in the ' *lenient of its tattle Alla reverses, the engagements which Ar i t Sl ithtaitY•OiNitrACttiti at the Outset of its struggle against ~ *ll4tritation and tyranny of lance ; and we arc eominand • 44 tome. ' taint you, that thee engagementti have been reduced gitto ufd tonn oh a Treaty of ; which 'Treaty, so soon Its the Raja:4llo4S shall have been exchanged, ins Majesty vrill ‘auie to be land before yuu. . " His Majesty commands us to state to you. that while his contemplated with the liveliest satistattion the itiliieMenients of Ms forces in the ' committeeman of the cainpaig,ii in s'Otlutial, anti the deliverance of the Kingdom • Of his Ally *rota the presence and oppressions of the kftwelt July, his •Majesky most deeply regretted the termination of. ,*bat Larnprtigh by an Armistice and Covention, at saint of the Anklet of writell his.Majcsry has Celt himself obliged formally to declare his disapprobation. " We are to 4sicpress to you his .14thipty"*rediance on your' disposition to enable Ms Majesty to continie the aid adibt'ded by his Majesty to the Riug 01 Sweden. That M,onirch &- sifts a peculiar GUILD to his Majesty's support in the present . exigency of his attairs, from having concurred with his Ma. jesty in the propriety of rejettintany proporoll for negocia. tion to whitli the Covenunent of Spain was not to be admit ted as an party. • " GIUITLIMEN of Tin ROOS% OW COMMONS, 66 We are commanded by hii Majesty to inform you, that be has directed the Estimates of • the current year to be bid 1111101 ore you. His Majesty relies upon your zeal and alleCtion On:lake such further provision of supply as the vigorous ProSenution of the War may render necessary ; and Ire trusts that you may be enabled to And the means of providing such apply, without any great or immediate increase of the ex. istingburthent upon his people. " His Majesty leafs assured that it will be highly nth. faftory to You to learn, that, notwithstanding the measures , Te 3 FP:d to by the Enemy: for the purpo s e of destroying the commerce and resources of his Kingdom, the public reyentie has continued in a course of progressive improvement. " My IfOliriS, AND GINTIItMIOI, " We are diteaed to inform you, that the measure adopt. ell by Parliament in the last Session, for establishing a Local Militia, has been already attended with the happiest success, and promises to be extensively and permanently beneficial to the Country. . , • 4 We, haie , received .his MAjtsty's commands most 'eve- LiaHy to recommend to you, that, .duly weighing the im.. mense interests that arc ot stake in the War now carrying on, you should proceed, with as little delay as possible, to con, skier of the mostetratual ilwaitires for the augmentation of the Regular Army, in , order that his Majesty may be the betterettabled, without impairing the meansof the dekneei at boinN to avail ldintelr of alit military power of his Voir& Won's in the contest in which .he is engager ; and to caudal that contest, under the olessing of Divine rrOvi `l6rice• to a conclusion ctkinpatitile with the hennur of his -Majety's Crown, and w th iht interests of his ,Allies of Europe‘ and of the world " The Members of Ise House of Commons havicg retires( about live o'clock, • • • • Iti l he Ear) of 11111DOEWATElt rose to move the Ad dress. • flis Lordship was very short in his speech, and spoke.in a very low tone. He tonotted on the' variou* topics of the Speech, and urged that the , c ountry had much to cong r atul ate i tse l f upon i n the 'lnfirovement of its relative situation, with respett -Jo regret which his • iktajeity felt in cotomoet with like, nation, at the - Convention of Chum, yet we bad the censolation of kno.ving, that iii no ittstanbe litld 'the . valbur of the 'British army been moro exempla- Lily displayed, or its charaner better maintained, than . ..io two Mantles whichprecedcd that Convention. He oncluded with movi ng a n' Address, which, akustial, embraced all the points allnded.to in the'Speeelt. • • LOril SitEYF !R.I.:A), ill a -short speech, seconded tho Address.. . ~ . '' • £4l Sr. VINCE NT Bald, although there was much t f the Address to which he (lid not mean to object, yet cL:rianily he could tit give it wholly his Riksent. ll' the 'wits to vote for, it all it stood, It would be an .4. . . admission that Minist'era hail aced with wisdom and the Pyrenees were -open tb the French, .which they vigour, whereas, in his 'opinion, they had sitewn flow were and it %VaS notorious; that the road ' neither wisdom oor ,vignor .; what, I: vas the proof of from Pari s t o hi a d r id was a s open. for the pas. their wisdoni the vibratiottit of theircounsels, con- sage of FreuCh thaops as . the read , trom : Paris to tinunlly.doing and ondoing, embarking, and coon , Autwerp. It was 'notorions also, that the mill tertn:lnditlgi - or 'where was their:vigour ? They bad .tary power of all Europe,. except Austria, was coßeoted, it was true, a large fleet of transports, bat at the disposal of Buonaparte.'; what then could. how had they employed them ? why, in conveying, he • done; by 30,000 British troops against hon,Ooo back to franca Junor and his rascally. army, with which could be brought into the field,. against tbemi all their illgotten Wealth and plunder, while our i He adverted again to the absurdity of sending troops, "men troops were KU withotit any neceisary pro- to be disembarked far from the sett of eaten, and iisiontor arrabgements . Mode • tor' their march into contended it Was b u t a mo c kery of preffered assist- Spaio. They were - detained for two , Months, ,and atTee to be at. the' back of our allies, and distant ,at tact marched off in the midst of the rainy season; from the place where service would be necessary,, tlenconsequeoce was, that they fell down daily with . But the mismanagement did not end here; for it the dysentery. IHis Mijesty, in, his Speech,- had appeared that after the British army had causer] told them that he disapproVed of some articles of j the French to eiacttatePortogal, there was,not the the Convention of:Ciutra;,bet.he felt no hesitation least prevision made for theft iirogress into Spain, in saying,. that he thought; it the . most ,disgraceful, j and it was full two months betofe they could pro transalion :tor the Cotintry that had happened sauce. coed ; and when' at lait they began to march, it was the Revolution. He sari around hitt) some Princes I, in the worst season of the year, through a country of the Blood Royal; who from their earliest. years, not capaiie Ofitilbrding them support, and by reads had ,been,bred to arms, and:had - .Studied-their, pro• notorion4 imPracticabie. His Mijesty, in his fessioe, Why.were none.- olthein appointed to MTh , i Speech, had said, that he had publicly expressed tuands to.suppert the '.honour of their cooarry his disapprohatiun 'of -same of the articles of the If they wer. , not employed, thew, was another Treaty of enure. He confessed he was a little Noble Peer who hadliten proofs of Its talents both anxious to know what answer the Addresi would as a statesman and a Soldier, and it was Silatneftli not make to this communicatton, and was atirprised to have employed him on such an occasion. He was to ethd it concurred in blaming if,. Of the Treaty sure he would in Spain have proved another Peter- a of Claw that House knew nothing until it should borough.: They would not then have experienced •be laid before them—of the expression "of his Ma such disgraceful result.. He would not go the, jest Y's disapprobation, that Hous e knew nothing, Whole length of saying, as he had War" said, th a t . and yet they were call e d up on to bl ame t h e T reaty: w there never as . a Cuuncil of War but when the He thought .11iniiters might have recollened, th- • Commander in Chief was a coward, but this. he could say, 'there never was a Council of War but where !here was something wrong about the Com mander to Chi 4, and he could add, he never ktiew a Court of Inquiry, but for the purpose of 'covering a•blut, and the Commander in Chief in 'Portugal had let it out on the Court of Inquiry, that he was, by Lord Castlereagh's diredion, Mall things to con sult .his third in command. His Lordship then ad verted,to the debarkation of the troops in Spain, which, fie insisted, was done with the utmost igoo;- ranee of the nature of tlte country. He had heard of a It - Oven-born Minister, who, in Council, asked, whether Port Mahon was aft island or on'the Con tinent the present men surpassed him in geo graphical ignoranee,.for they seemed wholly unac quainted with the Whole coast of Europe. They debarked men in the extremity of they Smith to act in the North ; and now they were retreating. In stead of preparing for them at the nearest port, they were sending Transports to Vigo. Not so with Junot's ragannitiin tellowi.' They were sent to .the nearest port 4- the scene of action 'in Spain. Re thought . these instances of mismehagensetit and ignorance 'were so .gross that they ought to approach the Throne, -his. Majesty fairly, that unless he petted with his preserM• IVltnisters, be was in dan ger of losing his country: having stated his opi nion, he should retire. Infirmity would prevent him from attending- much, perhaps he should never attend 'again ; " And so,' any • .Lotds (he said), 1 wish' ybo' all good night." • , , . Earl GROSVEN9O spoke shortly, and stated, he Could not concor with the Address in-all its parts. Lord SaueouTit begged not to be understood to stand pledged in voting for the Address. His Ma jesty had stated, that`he had enteted into a Treaty . : with Spain. The propriety of 'that Tr eat y wou ld.' be best discussed when it was laid upon the table. Lord GRENVILLE rose; and said, he Must ob jea to the Address in its greatest part; because in his view it went to sanction' what bad been done ; its meastires of w4sdanrt a nd vigour, - tint also Went fur th er, and pledged the House as to their_opi.. pion of the wisdom and vigour of what was pro kH posed to be done. Thinking far ditferent ns he'did`e, of the mode in which the war had 'been conducted; and of the manner-in Which'it ought to have been condu6ted, he must give it his decided 'dissent. Fie wholly disapproved' of sending . a British army into the heart of Spain ; and he did riot think that the situation of that county at any time warranted the Hazarding a large British ,forte—large, with resped to the. means of this country, but small, with Tete tree to the armies they had to encounter. He cer 'Llinly approved of giving the Spanish Patriots every assistance, but it might best have beets done by fly . ing expeditions, . annoying the enemy at all points, which, by the assistance of our fleetti, might easily have been effected. Wilco the resistatice to French oppression first manifested itself in Spain,.fie was one who 'looked upon it with 'a desponding eye, but if - there was any one thin; in particular which gave him more hope than another, it was the wise poitcy set out in the paper of precautions issued by !lie fiat Junta. it I.vasthere jnstly:said; 'that the troops of Spain could not enco unter the veteran legions of Yr-mice in the open held, and therefore it recant... • mended the avowing of all pitcliediuntles, and, in stead of it,'a continual system of hatiMing th'e'ene my by hanging on his orit 7 OOstS. Every pcniun iu thmeuuntry agreed on the wisdotu Ot t h e policy, and yet we had, by our.cOnduCt in sending a large army into the heart of 'Spent, driven our allies in depart from' it. But not only was this erreoeously done, but the very manner was the worst that possibly could be, adopted. It was only in the North Of Spain, or the banters of the Pyrent-eS, that a British. force could have acted with Oat. Atter the French' 'had been driven from IVladrid. and had retired to the frontiers of Spain, if a British 'toree could have been promptly sent to the North of Silent, before 1119 ench lad received reinforcementsi they perhaOs me,,ht hate been driven through the Pyreoeics, those 'ptssses, forced, and the keys at their country put into thehends of the Spaniards.---Instead of wbirrle , the troop. were r.ent to a distant and deserted province, which must of course again fall WO the hands ut • the conquerors of Spain, and' the Spanish army left to be defeated. He held It was the utmost folly to trust Britillt troops in Spa,' while the passes in doge. at it was inconsistent with the first principles of British justice to condemn a.measure Until they had-ex amined it. - But though they could not now give any opinion of -the Treaty, there was abundant to demand an inquiry. A Military. Inquiry had declared the •Military Commanders were not to blame, th:fr they had -acted as became them. -. His Majesty was dissatisfied with the, Treaty. - What• was the inte retice,"that the blame lay elsewhere, and must at taeb to- Ministers. The French could only be driven from' Portugal, either by following them into Lisbon, and investing the fortresses, or by ordering them to come into the field, and there beating them. But if they had nu cannon- to batter the forts, or' no cavalry to follow op their.viaory in the field, the Generals were nt.t to ,he., blamed,, hut --the Ministers who equipped the espedition . ;• et. if t; .y were, to aa in country wide!) would not support the army, but they mitst'depend on the fleet for supply, they were not blameable fat not. having a Cuzoutissariat to arrange that department. The Court ofitiquiry had not gorse into these points, and' they had . done r!ght in not doing it.. Neither 'had they in sacred into the Nava l • Bat it weeld beetene that HoUge to in quire how it happened,. that a British Admiral, ino •stead. of pnriniughis us , s eal 'tom rue.tions to born, sink, destreg, anti capture the enemy, had sent- their fleet into port ruere4 as a pledge, to be. restored at the coeciusion of Peace. These would be all matters fonne inquiry. His Lordship next expressed his surprise, that no notice _was taken in the Speech Of the affairs of this Country relative to AMerica. He declared his opinion was, that Ministers wished ,to drive us into a state 01 hostility with that people, which he earnestly deprecated. He argued, that the embargo .was mischievous in its etiects to this Qeuntry, and stated, ' t ha t the American, mbassador - had offered, by his instructions, to rescind the embargo ,with respect to this country, if we would rescind our Orders in Council with respeci- to them. . From that moment,. he asserted, a new epode) took place, and the question assumed quite allot her aspect, for t,y that concession he asserted, America, in met, made, common cause with us against ,France, andit was an infatuation in Ministers not to come to an accornino datidn with her. - He knew there were many dis cerning:people in this. country, who thought that we should destroy tdl commerce but our own, and ant: sutler any other Ship on the 'sea. He knewiatet whether Ministers'had any affettion tufr this absurd policy, but it seemed by their-conduel that they had. But most miserable and deceived would they find themselves, if they acted upon any such absurd and mad iipeculation. Beforedie'sat down lie would just notice the allusion to the overtures made troin Erfurt!). • He was of opinion that those overtures Could teiver have hid t 4) peace, situated as both '.par ties then .wete with respeet to Spain.. Neither side could well have treated on the Jai possidetis, Buotta parteexpetting to reconquer Spain in two months, nnd we ie possession _of. Portugal. But the proper tittle for discussing this question world come hereof ter, he Should only just now notice a contradictien between the Speech and his Majestj's late Declara tion. That-Speech stete.s; that it was demanded as epreliminary't hat we should : nut interfere in Spain ; and the Deelaration; that we. demanded that'the *emit should cease their iotertin'ence. • Which was the 1;41 lie knew not, but it seemed to him in absurd thinglor either side to ask of the other, and' "of course not to be expeNed Oat either should a`c rtiesce in, therefore not likely to lead to a 4 pacifica tion. Having no 4 stated in what points he dissented from the Address, he should just say, that he most •Cerdially dgreed to the proposition for augmenting ,4inr force; he conceited it would be highly proper, and would be most 'essentially necessary and useinl, whier proper and wise managetuent , liereafteri. and he feared, at no diatom- period,i in our Own defence. To-that part he most cordially assented ; but be could by no meant, viewing the .ctinduet of Mints ters as he did, concur in the , Addrees altogether as proposed. . • Lord HAwKEseurry, in reply, observed, that no ' one could be-more sensible that) he was of the ex twine imporaoce eft the events to which the Noble Bari») had alladt :I; he imaginel,- l u that the Address was so worded, as not to pledge any NOhle Lord to ahy opinion lespetititig the measures which ,his Majesty's Government had adopted in porstaapce et th.:tra. if it was coosidera that light, ha might venture to aasnre their tordslilpe'that it 'te.e, not so intended. Mast certainly as Jong as .theSna thards seethed disOsed to. prove true to themselves, an long should diem cause meet, on the ye r Of great Britain, itith the molt cordial and entarticeupport Apisthat lie conceived to he a point Upiin which there would no ditterende of qpiniott. A diversity 'of gee itiment might, no doubt, arise tvapeaing tke spec tic nature of' the support to be Out afforded. The spit.: chic nature of that support vi;otild - therefore be mat ter of minute detail, or •fintire explanation and dis. cussien, and therefore could not be suppo se d t o b e at all involved in the vote of the present Aditre , t., which simply'Calla upon the House to Concur with, his Majesty -in the assurance, " that so lopg as' tne •people of, Spain remain true to themselves, This Ma jesty will continue to theM his most strentionsaonf;., • aance and support." Fi'aitfiftil to that assurance, the :engagements at first eetered itito With Spain, when she resolved to oppose the enemy, !Wheat) since throwtj into a formal treaty, which sveuld be dell laid belotat their Lordships, and which was ineanyo record . did. `opinion which we enteratitted ihaegenerous and' ; patriotic determination which Spain' lud Lifien to assert her independence. Priam such air lissoranee, on the part .of this country, we surely were not tube deterred by disasters ; but, .on the contrary, as these' disasters seemed to accuMulate, the readier should he. .be to hold to the enduring patriotism of Spain every sort of hope and assistance.:. It was unfortunately; but too frequent in such cases,, to yield to first re 4 verses, and . to begin to despond at-the first forve fortune. Such.he confident wonid nor .he,, the cases)" Spain; indeed, so to consider it, would be to view, it, in a narrow and unfair point ot view. Even though the reverses and calamities should be ihcreashri and aggravated, the temper of Spain would not allot her to despair.: Indeed, it' we consulted the history of different nations, circumstanced as Spain now was, and animated by a similar spirit, we . should, see that it took not merely one campaign, nor the struggle of a year or two,. but the unbroken perseverance of thirty years,, ultimately to defeat the efforts of their invaders, and finally to triumph in the nssertiou of tlteir national independence: Perseverance in such ,rases was the virtue to which chiefly was to b look* ed for the triumph of such a cause. But we !Jeri; not merely to look afthe cause of Spain as the Itost noble and the most-interesting that could engage sl a t: attention and concern of mankind. No doubt, While we considered it as such, we most els° look at' it with a selfish eye, .and then must .we be coovinced that with-the fate of Spain was our security inseparably linked.; that in 'whatever betel her were our dearest intereats, indeed, our very existence, perhapsi necess earn)? involved, Not only, therefere, was it a tenting of honour • and Minitel ion. that should' interest os its the fate of Spain, but anear . regard to -oar own satety anti security. How then was it welt postable for the House to hesitate in Concurring-in the essurance of the continuance of British support, especidly, as he' hilt before observed, such an assurance as that the Ad- liras called for could . pledge*no Noble Lord to any specific mode in which that support and assistance should be atforded. Thai, he would repeat, should, inattei of future discussion and explanation, and therefore he should not 'now deem it necessary to go into the detail of what must hereafter etene un der a full and Complete investigation. He should now, however, briefly touch on some of the points which. the Noble Baron bad so largely descatited on. The Noble Baron had talked so much of thee.apedis: lions to Spain and to Portugal. He even approv4 in some measure:o4mb' expedition*, rather.indeed of Ate substance than of the-tuanner.ot them. He would have them confined to the coasts ; but that upon every:view of things, would have oven finnid imphsaible. That every possible support should be given to - Spain, in men as well as in money; WilM agteett•upou, all sides., tedeed, that epee:mei to be mineral opinion, of the country. Botb. were accordingly offered atidTgrotttnt. the expedition to Portugal lied not hem com4idered its its proper light. Had we, however, hp force in that country, what would have preventild Getieral Junot ft om marching to the support of General Dupont. Sq far, therefore., the detention of 'Jima in Portugkti may . have contributed to, or insured the surrender - of Du pont. As to the sending of a British force to Por tugal in. yreference to . spain, that m eas ur e w n adopted compliance with rite representation 3 of. the Spanish - .lentos.' That the French should t,e expelled train Portugal, by the British army, and thus succour Spain, was the opinion and wish, in. 4. oulcif the N - orth; but the South of Sp4in. The satire aPPlicatinti was tbade,to•General Silencer asst Sir A. Wellesley. The expulsion of the French from Portugal, was as much a Spanish as a Piirtti'. guese 'question. Iu Portugal was achieved one O f nnoat brilliant expeditions s and, perhaps, in the shot h.,: time of any, that eeertedounded to the.; honour of the British arms. The moment• it was finally deEtihed for Portugal, that moment . was the force destined, provided with' the necessary artillery and cavalry, at least in the extent which any General NV , YII,I quire; and no where could the Br.itish artillery have more distinguished itself; either in the opinion of those w commanded it; or even in . th e eyes 0 . t he enemy and of Europe.. As ,to the retleaiens tnalle by the Noble Baron on the proceedings of the Court instituted to inquire into the causes that led to the Convention of Cintra,lie Should ntit'now enter into any diseussion. The Addreis went no 'fat ti4i. thirrn to say, that the House concurred with his I\lajosty . regretting that the campaign hi Portsigal was tormi. nated by an Armistice an Coneentioh, of some 1.1 the -pans of which his Majesty has been obliged to disapprove. No opinion was here called for let whieh the House could inaity degree he pledged t t y the Anawer returned to the Addrestiel the City of don, he was at a lots' io see any, vo t l ot i fur t i e Noble Baton's observations.- As,fai• as ic,c. it d f inquiry, no refle4tion or SttlaWe WAS made upon it ; b ut , w h e n it prejudged the conduct et the (Aim' engaged in that. transaction, and the gbAratter of the